Seat for assisted sitting and standing

ABSTRACT

A seat or bench that provides a unique support structure to assist a person in the act of sitting upon, rising from or standing before the seat of the chair or bench, comprising a seat member having a front portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the front portion having a front edge, two generally horizontal and elongated arms, and legs supporting the seat member, the seat configured such that the arms are adapted to provide support in front of a person standing between the arms while adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/182,410, entitled SEAT FOR ASSISTED SITTING AND STANDING, filed on May 29, 2009. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD

The present teachings generally relate to a seat upon which a person sits, and more particularly to a novel chair or bench that is configured to provide a unique bracing or support structure to assist a person in the act of sitting upon, rising from or standing before the seat of the chair or bench.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

For most people, the act of sitting upon, rising from or standing before a seat does not provide any particular difficulty. However, for persons of an advanced age, persons with certain physical limitations or disabilities, or persons who are otherwise infirm, this act can be difficult and even dangerous. For example, weakened legs and arms can falter, potentially causing the person to fall and thereby expose the person to possible injury and embarrassment. Such difficulties are compounded when the person is in need of resting at the chair before proceeding to sit on the chair or move away after sitting, or when the person must stand at the chair to reach a walker, a cart, a mobility device, or otherwise has a need to stand at the seat or chair.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a seat chair, such as for example a chair or bench, that has unique bracing that assists a person in sitting upon or rising from the seat and further provides stability to the person for standing at the front of the seat. In various embodiments, the seat includes a seat member for a person to sit upon, a seat back, two arms and one or more legs, wherein the arms are braced by the legs and extend a substantial distance beyond the front edge of the seat member to provide support to a person for the purpose of sitting upon or rising from the seat and for standing at the front of the seat.

Further areas of applicability of the present teachings will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a seat from a first perspective, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a seat from a second perspective, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a seat from a side perspective with a depiction of a person seated on the seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a seat from a side perspective with a depiction of a person in a partial squat position above the seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a seat from a side perspective with a depiction of a person standing nearly erect at the front of the seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a seat from a side perspective with a depiction of a person standing erect at the front of the seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a bench-style seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present teachings, application, or uses. Throughout this specification, like reference numerals will be used to refer to like elements.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, in various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a seat 10 that is structured to provide a person with support to assist in the sitting upon, rising from or standing in front of the seat. The seat 10 includes a generally flat and rectangular seat member 12 having a front portion 14, a rear portion 16, a first side portion 18 and a second side portion 20. The front portion 14 has a front edge 22. Attached to the first side portion 18 is a first side frame 24. Likewise, attached to the second side portion 20 is a second side frame 24′. Each of the side frames 24 and 24′ has a generally straight front leg 26 and 26′, a generally straight rear leg 28 and 28′, a cross member 30 and 30′, and a generally straight arm or upper support 32 and 32′. The front legs 26 and 26′ are of equal length and parallel to the rear legs 28 and 28′, the cross members 30 and 30′ are of equal length and parallel to the arms 32 and 32′, and all of the legs are generally vertical and perpendicular to the surface 100 atop which the seat 10 rests. The cross members 30 and 30′ are respectively positioned on the side frames 24 and 24′ generally parallel to each other and aside to the seat member 12, where they are attached to a lower brace structure 34 that is attached to and supports the seat member 12.

The arms 32 and 32′ are respectively positioned on the side frames 24 and 24′ generally parallel to each other and a uniform height above the top of the seat member 12. The upward distance between the top of the seat member 12 and the top of the arms 32 and 32′ is such as to provide a person with reasonable ambulatory support for rising from, sitting upon or standing in front of the seat 10 when the person braces his or her hands upon the top of the arms 32 and 32′. This upward distance is approximately eight inches, but may be greater or less depending on a number of factors such as, for example, the cushioning on the seat member 12 and the body shape and height of the person using the seat 10 and whether the person has any specific physical limitations that would require special needs. Thus, the front edge 22 of the seat member 12 in conjunction with the arms 32 and 32′ outline the perimeter of a substantially rectangular area along the floor directly in front of the seat member 12. As can be appreciated, this area is large enough for the person A to fully stand within when standing adjacent to and facing away from the front edge 22 of the seat member 12. The side frames 24 and 24′ are each configured such that the cross members 30 and 30′ and the arms 32 and 32′ extend an equal distance beyond the front edge 22 of the seat member 12. Consequently, the front legs 26 and 26′ are positioned in front of the front edge 22, and thereby provide vertical stability to the front ends of the arms 32 and 32′. The forward distance from the legs 26 and 26′ and the front edge 22 of the seat member 12 is such to enable a person to stand generally erect in front of the seat 10 while maintaining a supporting grip directly upon the tops of the arms 32 and 32′ without having to reach back behind the person. This forward distance is greater than eight inches, and preferably about ten inches, but may be greater or slightly less to accommodate individual needs and circumstances, so long as the distance is sufficient to provide the support to a person standing in front of the seat 10 as described and disclosed herein.

Behind the seat member 12 is a generally flat and rectangular seat back 40 that is located slightly above and generally perpendicular to, but with a slight angle of repose away from, the rear portion 16 of the seat member 12, such that the seat back 40 provides a rest for the back of a person sitting upon the seat member 12, as can be appreciated. A rectangular rear frame 42 braces the seat back 24 above the rear portion of the seat member 12. Turning to FIG. 2, it can be seen that two vertical members 44, each spaced apart from one another and near the upper and lower edges of the seat back 24, are joined to two horizontal members 46, each likewise spaced apart from one another and near the upper and lower edges of the seat back 24, to form the rear frame 42. The lower portions of the vertical members 44 extend below the seat back 24 and the lowest of the two horizontal members 46, to attach to the rear of the lower brace structure 34. In addition, a rear brace 48 extends between and near the top of the rear legs 28 and 28′, and is attached to the lower portions of the vertical members 44, such that the rear brace 48 provides cross bracing between the side frame members 24 and 24′, as well as a rear brace for the seat back 40.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, when a person A desires to rise from the novel seat 10 of the present invention, that person A can comfortably grasp or place his or her hands upon the tops of the arms 32 and 32′ for support as in FIG. 3. As the person A rises and begins to advance forward, FIGS. 4-5, his or her hands can likewise comfortably move forward along the level surface of the tops of the arms 32 and 32′ for continual and fluid support throughout the rising process. In this way, the person A will have security in the knowledge of the placement of his or her hands upon the tops of the arms 32 and 32′ and the grasping of the arms 32 and 32′ without uncertainty or doubt as to the location and availability of those arms. Consequently, throughout the entire process of rising from the seat 10, the person A can concentrate upon rising from the seat 10 without concern for losing his or her grip upon the arms 32 and 32′ and without the need to look at or for the arms 32 and 32′ while in the act of rising, or indeed while standing in front of and facing away from the seat 10.

Finally, upon attaining an erect position, FIG. 6, the person A can remain at the front of the seat 10 while maintaining continued and consistent support by continuing to grasp or place his or her hands atop the arms 32 and 32′ as shown. Of course, a person A seeking to sit upon the seat member 12 can likewise utilize the unique support provided by the arms 32 and 32′ in reverse order—first standing before the seat member 12 as in FIG. 6, then moving back and beginning to sit as in FIG. 5, and moving further back as in FIG. 4, and sitting upon the seat member 12 as in FIG. 3. As can be appreciated, a person rising from or sitting upon the unique seat 10 is not rushed to release the security of the support provided by the arms 32 and 32′ immediately upon standing erect or nearly erect, and may remain standing at the front of the seat 12 with the support provided by the seat 10 for a duration sufficient for the person A to move away from the seat 10 at the person's leisure or choosing. Further, while standing at the front of the seat 10, the person A may use one hand to reach for an object, such as a food tray, a walker, a cane or some other mobility device, while maintaining support from the seat 10 by continuing to grasp with the other hand upon one of the arms 32 or 32′.

It will be appreciated that in certain embodiments of the present invention, such as in for example FIGS. 1-6, the seat 10 comprises a chair. In other embodiments, such as in for example FIG. 7, the seat 10 comprises a bench.

While I have described in the detailed description a variety of designs that may be encompassed within the disclosed embodiments of this disclosure, numerous other alternative configurations, that would now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, may be designed and constructed within the bounds of my disclosure as set forth in the claims. Moreover, all of the above-described different seats can be affected by a number of other and related varieties of configurations without expanding beyond the scope of my disclosure as set forth in the claims.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present disclosure contemplates seats of varying configurations, so long as each such seat encompasses one or more of the unique features of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. For example, the seat member 12 and seat back 24 may each be of varying sizes and shapes, such as for example square, rectangular, round or oval. Further, the seat member 12 and the seat back 24 may be of varying thicknesses and have various surface shapes and textures. For example, the top surface of the seat member 12 and/or the front surface of the seat back 24 may be cushioned and rounded, have upholstery buttons, or may be flat or contoured, all as are well-known and may be found in conventional chairs and benches throughout the furniture industry.

Similarly, in alternative embodiments, the arms 32 and 32′ may be of varying sizes and shapes, and may have upholstery or other materials attached thereto, or the top surfaces of the arms 32 and 32′ may be positioned on the seat 10 at a slope relative to the floor 100. Further, other structures, such as for example a protuberance or grips or decorative textures, may be positioned along or on the top surfaces of the arms 32 and 32′ without sacrificing the functionality of the continuous support provided by the unique seat 10. All such variations will be within the scope of the present invention so long as the top surfaces of the arms 32 and 32′ remain essentially flat so as to provide a person A with a known point of contact for placement of the hands for support throughout the process of rising from, sitting upon or standing in front of the seat 10.

Other variations in the configuration of the seat 10 may readily be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the rear frame 42 and the lower brace structure 34 may each be of a myriad of sizes, shapes and configurations so long as they each provides adequate support to the seat 10 to maintain the structural integrity of the seat. Additionally, the legs 26, 26′, 28 and 28′ may be of a myriad of shapes, widths and sizes, including for example a single leg structure conjoining the front and rear legs 26 to 28 and 26′ to 28′ in each side frame 24 and 24′, so long as the legs provide adequate structural support to the full length of the arms 32 and 32′ as outlined herein and in the claims below. Likewise, the cross members 30 and 30′ may be of various shapes and sizes and positions within the side frames 24 and 24′, and may even be absent from the seat 10, so long as the seat member 12 has adequate structural support in the seat 10 from the cross members 30 and 30′ or from some other support structure.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the legs 26 and 26′ need not necessarily descend perpendicular from the arms 32 and 32′, and need not even be attached to the arms 32 and 32. Rather, the legs 26 and 26′ merely need to extend a distance beyond the front edge 22 of the seat member 12 sufficient to enable the distal ends of the arms 32 and 32′ to support the full weight of the person A without causing the seat 10 to tumble or rock forward. This is achieved by locating the forward most portion of the bases of the legs 26 and 26′ generally below the distal ends of the arms 32 and 32′.

Alternatively, the seat 10 may be adapted to be secured to a floor or other base surface to prevent the seat 10 from tumbling or rocking forward when the full weight of the person A is placed upon the distal ends of the arms 32 and 32′. Such a configuration would preclude the need for the legs 26 and 26′ to extend beyond the front edge 22. In yet another variation, the seat 10 may be configured to comprise sufficient weight to counterbalance the rotational force imparted on the chair 10 when the full weight of the person A is placed upon the distal ends of the arms 32 and 32′.

As can also be understood, the seat 10 may be configured to be collapsible or adjustable. In such alternate embodiments, the seat 10 may incorporate pivot points at various positions as would be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The description herein is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of that which is described are intended to be within the scope of the teachings. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the teachings. 

1. A seat comprising: a seat member having a front portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the front portion having a front edge; a generally horizontal and elongated first arm positioned in proximity to the first side portion of the seat member; a generally horizontal and elongated second arm positioned in proximity to the second side portion of the seat member; and a leg supporting the seat member; wherein the arms are adapted to provide support in front of a person standing between the arms and adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member.
 2. The seat of claim 1, wherein the support is sufficient to bear the person's entire weight.
 3. The seat of claim 1, wherein both arms extend generally parallel to one another.
 4. The seat of claim 1, wherein the arms each extend to an equal forward distance beyond the front edge of the seat member.
 5. The seat of claim 4, wherein the forward distance is greater than eight inches.
 6. The seat of claim 1, wherein the first arm comprises a top surface that is substantially flat.
 7. The seat of claim 1, wherein the first arm comprises a distal end at the furthest extent from the front edge of the seat member and the leg extends directly below the distal end of the first arm.
 8. The seat of claim 1, wherein the leg attaches to the distal end of the first arm.
 9. The seat of claim 1, wherein the arms each comprise a top surface of equal height.
 10. The seat of claim 9, wherein the top surface of each arm extends the entire length of each arm.
 11. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a seat back positioned opposite the front portion of the seat member.
 12. The seat of claim 2, wherein the seat back is rotationally attached to the seat member.
 13. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a chair.
 14. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a sectional chair.
 15. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a bench.
 16. A seat comprising: a seat member having a front portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the front portion having a front edge; a generally horizontal and elongated first arm positioned in proximity to the first side portion of the seat member; a generally horizontal and elongated second arm positioned in proximity to the second side portion of the seat member; and a base supporting the seat member; wherein the arms extend generally parallel to one another beyond the front edge of the seat member to define the perimeter of an area having sufficient size for a person to fully stand within when standing adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member.
 17. A seat comprising: a seat member having a front portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the front portion having a front edge; a generally horizontal and elongated first arm positioned in proximity to the first side portion of the seat member; a generally horizontal and elongated second arm positioned in proximity to the second side portion of the seat member; and a base supporting the seat member; wherein the arms are configured to allow a person to grasp both arms in front of the person when the person is standing between the arms and adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member.
 18. A seat comprising: a seat member having a front portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the front portion having a front edge; a generally horizontal and elongated first arm positioned in proximity to the first side portion of the seat member; a generally horizontal and elongated second arm positioned in proximity to the second side portion of the seat member; and a base supporting the seat member; wherein the arms are adapted to provide continuous support to a person while in the process of rising from or sitting upon the seat member from a seated position to a position standing nearly erect adjacent the front edge of the seat member.
 19. The seat of claim 1, wherein the arms are further adapted to allow the person to stand nearly erect between the arms and adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member, and to grasp both arms without reaching back.
 20. The seat of claim 1, wherein the arms are further adapted to allow the person to grasp both arms while standing balanced and nearly erect between the arms and adjacent to and facing away from the front edge of the seat member. 